• Loading stock data...
Saturday, July 12, 2025

How Sports Transcend Cultures — Notes from a World Traveler

Wherever you go, sports serve as a unifying factor.

Three 1 minute rounds have never hurt so badly

Three months ago, I embarked on a trip that was supposed to end a few days ago. I was meant to spend about one month backpacking through Europe with my family and two months solo in Southeast Asia, followed by graduate school to study business and sport management.

Alas, about five weeks into the trip, the rush of globetrotting hit me like a ton of bricks. I had experienced this freedom before — during a three month Euro trip two years prior — and this time I wasn’t prepared to let it go so easily.

It was this intoxicating feeling that prompted me to defer graduate school for at least a year and pursue an opportunity that affords me the privilege of traveling. For the better part of the next nine months, I will be working remote for The Growth of a Game, before joining the team full-time in the Spring at the Brussels office.

The more I travel, the more appreciation I have for sports. As I write this article, I am sitting in Vietnam, the 33rd country I have had the fortune to visit. Along the way, I’ve met individuals from every corner of the world, from Australia to Korea to Zimbabwe to Venezuela.

Each country certainly has its own distinct culture and I have had the chance to witness a lot of them firsthand. But what strikes me more than the different cuisines, languages and architecture is the universal adoration for sports.

Somewhere between playing soccer with English teenagers, winning my first (and only) Muay Thai bout in Thailand, watching an American football game on German soil and kicking a wicker ball around with locals in Myanmar, it all clicked for me. Sports are one of the few things in this world that transcend culture and unify us.

You and I could have completely different political views, but for two hours on the soccer field, we’re on the same team. Two people could be completely unable to communicate verbally, yet spend time playing catch. Thanks to sports, we can all be on the same team, with the same goal, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or conviction. That is the power of sports.

I understand that, to some, sports seem like a waste of time. Over the course of a three hour football game, little is done to directly solve the world’s problems. If anything, the player’s lives could be harmed severely as recent studies have shown.

But, when you take a step back and look at the connections formed through sports and the lessons it teaches, I can’t think of a better way to pass time. Communities are formed. New friendships are made. Old friendships are strengthened. People learn about themselves, their limits and how to work with one another. So much is communicated through sports that cannot simply be spoken in a conference room or laboratory.

This is why I have joined The Growth of a Game. Our mission is to build communities throughout Europe around the game that we love: American football. We aim to give teams the tools and equipment they need to succeed, so that this great sport can continue to grow abroad. But overall, we just want to see more people playing.

Because, after all, what is life without play?


Front Office Sports is a leading multi-platform publication and industry resource that covers the intersection of business and sports.

Want to learn more, or have a story featured about you or your organization? Contact us today.

https://upscri.be/f32ae1

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Nov 10, 2024; Munich, Germany; The NFL shield logo at midfield during the 2024 NFL Munich Game at Allianz Arena.

NFL’s Global Ambitions Now Extend to Abu Dhabi

Three teams gain marketing rights to the United Arab Emirates.
Oct 13, 2024; London, United Kingdom; The 2024 NFL London Games, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Jacksonville Jaguars and Chicago Bears logo on the facade at an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Do NFL Players Want an International Super Bowl?

Players told Front Office Sports where it should be held.

NFL Set to Announce Dublin 2025 Game Featuring Steelers

The NFL will likely play seven international games in 2025

NFL Aims for Eight International Games in 2025 but May Fall Short

The league wanted to expand from five to eight international games next season.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
Gabby Thomas
exclusive
June 12, 2025

Grand Slam Track Cancels Los Angeles Meet As $30 Million Track Start-Up..

Sources close to Grand Slam insist money is not an issue.
June 13, 2025

What Rolapp’s NFL Exit Means—and the Top Candidates to Replace Him

NFL media boss Brian Rolapp leaves; the league hunts for his replacement.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
May 23, 2025

New LPGA Commissioner: Women’s Golf ‘Really Hard’ to Find on TV

Former PGA of America COO Craig Kessler will lead the tour.
Donald Trump, Nick Saban
May 22, 2025

Proposed Trump College Sports Commission May Never Happen

The White House is not sure of its plans.
May 15, 2025

PGA Championship Tees Off With Free Food, Record Hospitality Sales

General admission includes unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages.
Jun 12, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; St. Louis Blues center Ivan Barbashev (49) and right wing Vladimir Tarasenko (91) hoists the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in game seven of the 2019 Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden
May 15, 2025

The 10 Biggest Stanley Cup Upsets of All Time

Since the 1984–1985 NHL season, 10 squads have defied the odds.